Wire guide for tilting insulators



Dec. 18, 1934. s. c. KILLIAN 1,984,881

WIRE GUIDE FOR TILTING- INSULATORS Filed Jan. 23, 1932 NUN-Q 52mm/5W 6.

attain/mq Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Stanley C. Killian, Oak Park, Ill.,

Delta-Star Electric Company, corporation of Illinois Application January 23,

11 Claims.

The invention relates to wire guides for conductors which are attached to insulators on tilting type gang operated high tension electric switches where it is desired to provide a means of supporting the conductor so that the switch may be freely operated. Heretofore a pantograph arrangement has been used in which the conductor is loosely attached and guided. While this pantograph arrangement supports the conductor in a manner to hold the same in operative position, it is apt to freeze up an increases the effort required to operate the switch due to the friction of the several joints. This is undesirable in gang operated high tension switches and, further objections to the pantograph arise when the line conductor is to be brought directly into the tilting insulator rather than into a stationary insulator as is sometimes used on switches of this type, for the reason that it is diflicult to make a mechanical and electrical joint on the line conductor.

My invention overcomes these diilculties and provides an inexpensive support for the conductor in tilting type switches where either two or three insulators per pole are used. In my new form of wire guide the support extends out loosely from the insulator and is arranged to pivot through an angle of approximately seventy-six degrees, while the conductor itself serves as a second link flexing the wire without danger of chafng or breaking. The structure is very simple and may be easily installed in the ileld.

It is also a feature that the stiffness of the conductor determines the amount of deflection the guide arm must take, the conductor therefore always tending to flex like a spring about the center of curvature located near the operating shaft. This prevents any possibility of weakening the conductor by bending it at one point more than at another.

The features and details will be fully set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side view of a tilting insulator switch illustrating my wire guide in operative position therewith, the dotted outline illustrating the tilting insulator with the switch blade in open position.

Figure 2 is a plan View of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the wire or cable guide.

The tilting insulator switch A is illustrated with the insulator B pivotally mounted at 10 on the supporting frame 11.

assignor to Chicago, Ill., a

1932, Serial N0. 588,325

Adjacent the tilting insulator B is provided the stationary insulator support C which is supported on the frame 11 and projects above the same in a manner to support the switch blade receiving socket 12. The switch blade 13 car- 1.5 ried by the tilting insulator B is adapted to t into the socket 12 when the switch A is closed. Arcing horns 14 are provided extending from the socket l2 and the switch blade 13.

The electrical conductor D is supported by the insulator E which in turn is secured by the bolt connection 15 mounted to the member 16 which is secured to the lframe 11. The cable D is held secure to the eye 17 on the insulator E by the clamp 18, while the loop portion 19 extends from 15 the clamp 18 up to my wire guiding arm F. The arm F is formed with a cable receiving eye 30 on its outer free end and a mounting eye portion 2l on the other end. The end 21 is pivotally supported at 22 on the back end of the blade supporting plate 23 which plate supports the blade 13 on top of the insulator B.

The plate 23 rigidly supports the blade 13 and is held by the bolts 24 to the top of the tilting insulator B. This plate is provided with a pair of ears 25 between which the eye 21 oi the wire guide arm F is pivotally supported. This holds the arm F free to pivot about the point 22 guided by the ears 25 when the insulator B is tilted into open or closed position. The cable D extends from the loop 19 through the 20 and along the top of the arm F between the ears 25 which forma guide for the cable directly above the eye 21 and the end of the cable is held by the clamp 26 rigidly secured to the blade supporting plate 23. This brings the conductor D directly to the plate 23 which supports the blade 13. The conductor D is freely slidable through the eye 20. This sliding in the eye permits the conductor D to loop somewhat between the eye 20 and the point of attachment of the conductor to the plate 23, and obviates kinking of the conductor adjacent the eye.

In the operation of the tilting insulator B the loop 19 will ilex freely without danger of chafling or breaking and may be moved through an angle of practically seventy-six degrees freely and easily. Thus in the operation of the tilting insulator B to open or close the switch A the loop 19 will bend freely into a large curve without causing the loop or cable D to be bent at a single point to cause injury to the same. The pivoting of the loop supporting arm F at 22 permits the free end of the arm F to raise or rotate around the pivot point 22 so that the loop 19 will guide the arm F into the desired position to conform with the shape of the bending of the loop 19 controlled by the spring action in the cable itself and in the loop so as to permit the loop to be flexed readily without any danger and overcoming objectionable features hereinbefore pointed out of other types oi cable supporting means in conjunction with tilting insulator switches. The simplicity is apparent and yet the effectiveness of this inexpensive cable guide is of primary importance in providing a structure of a very desirable nature for tilting type gang operated high tension electric switches.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles Vof my wire guide for tilting insulator electric switches, and I have endeavored to represent the best embodiment thereof, however, I desire to have it understood that the drawing is only illustrative of a means of carrying out the principles of the invention herein set forth and the invention should be interpreted within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wire guide for tilting insulator electric switches in combination with a tilting insulator of the electric switch, a member extending from the tilting insulator adapted to provide an electric wire connector, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said member and having its free end extending from said member and formed with an electric wire receiving eye to provide a guide means pivotally connected to said member to operate with said tilting insulator to guide the electric wire supported by said guide arm in a manner to form a curved loop and prevent bending at a single point when said insulator of the switch is opened and closed, the stiffness of the wire determining the position of said arm in all but closed positions of said insulator.

2. The combination, a tilting insulator switch having an insulator pivotally mounted to open and close said switch, a connector plate carried by said tilting insulator adapted to provide an electrical connector to form a conductor for the switch, a pair of ears formed on said connector, a guide arm pivotally connected between said ears, and an electric wire guiding end formed on the free end of said arm whereby the end of an electric wire which is secured to said conductor connector is caused to bend into a loop in the opening and closing of said switch and prevented from charting or bending at a single point when the switch is operated, the position of said arm being determined by the stiffness of the wire in all positions of the insulator except closed position.

3. The combination, a tilting insulator switch having a fixed insulator adapted to support one portion of the electric switch, a tilting insulator adapted to support the other portion of the switch to provide an air break switch for electrical conductors, insulator means for anchoring an electric wire or cable with the end of the cable extended in a loop and connected with said tilting portion of said switch, and a guiding arm pivotally connected on one end to said tilting portion of said switch and having the other end adapted to form a guide for said loop end of said electric wire cable to cause said loop end to bend without chafng and form in an easy loop in the opening and closing of said switch, the position of said arm being determined by the stiffness of the wire in all positions of the tilting insulator except closed position of the switch.

4. A guide for a tiltable insulator switch including, an arm pivotally secured on one end to the tiltable insulator of the switch and having a free end with an eye through which the loop end of the electrical conductor is adapted to pass, whereby said guide arm acts as a support and guiding member to cause the loop' end of the electrical conductor to bend in loop formation without chaing in the operation of the tilting insulator switch.

5. A guide for an electrical conductor of a tilting insulator switch including, an arm pivotally secured to the tiltable portion of the switch and having a free end which is adapted to guide and support the loop end of an electrical conductor to cause `the same to move in an arc in the tilting of the switch in opening the same and prevent breaking of the conductor.

6. A guide for an electrical conductor associated with a tilting insulator switch including, an arm pivoted on one end to the tilting portion of the switch and having the other free end extending remote from the pivot point, and means on said other end for engaging the loop portion of an electric cable or conductor whereby when the pivoted end oi said arm is moved with the tiltable part of the switch the free end of said arm is adapted to guide the electrical conductor to cause the same to bend into an easy loop and prevent breaking thereof.

'7. A guide for an electric conductor in combination with a tilting insulator switch including a wire-like arm having an eye on one end by which said arm is adapted to be pivoted to the tilting insulator of said switch, a transversely formed eye on the free end of said arm through lwhich the electrical conductor is adapted to pass, means for supporting the electrical conductor extending longitudinally along one side of said wire arm and over the eye by which said arm is pivoted, and means for securing the end of the electrical conductor to saidtiltable insulating portion of said switch.

8. An electric switch for conductors including, an insulator rigidly supported in operative position, a blade receiving member carried by said insulator, a second insulator pivotally supported adjacent said rst insulator and adapted tobe tilted into open and closed position, a switch blade supported by said second insulator, an electrical conductor plate `extending from said .blade to one side oi said insulator and having apair of ears formed on the outer end thereof, a conductor guide arm pivotally mounted between said ears and having a free end extending therefrom, a conductor receiving eye formed on the outer end of said arm through which an electric conductor is adapted to extend and be mounted along said arm and between said ears to provide a guide andsupport for the conductor, and means for securing the end of the conductor supporting said ears and switch blade.

9. An electric tilting insulator switch including, an insulator rigidly mounted, a blade receiving member carried by said insulator, a switch blade, an insulator for said blade tiltably mounted adjacent said first insulator, and means carried by said tiltable insulator for supporting an electrical conductor freely longitudinally movable leading to said blade to cause the conductor to be held in a vertical plane in line with said switch blade and to guide the same -into an easy arcuated loop in the opening of said switch by the tilting of said switch blade and inslulator.

10. An electric switch including, a tiltable insulator adapted to support one portion of said switch, an electric conductor adapted to extend to the portion of said switch mounted on said tiltable insulator, to permit the tiltable insulator to open and close the switch and cause the conductor to move in a loop, and means carried by the tiltable insulator for guiding the loop oi the conductor freely longitudinally movable to bend into an easy arcuated loop formation without chaiiing or breaking.

l1. An electric switch including, a pair of insulators one of which is adapted to support the blade receiving means of said Switch, means for tiltably supporting the other of said insulators, a plate connector mounted on said tiltable insulator, a blade carried by said plate connector, means for securing the end of an electric conductor to said plate connector, a pair of ears formed on the outer end of said plate connector between which the conductor is adapted to be guided, a guide arm pivotally mounted between said ears beneath the electrical conduc tor and extending with a free end which is adapted to engage remote from the pivot of said arm about the electrical conductor to cause the electrical conductor to be supported along said arm and in the outer free end thereof, said arm pivoting between said ears and guiding the conductor to form in a loop in the opening of said switch without breaking the same.

STANLEY C. KILLIAN. 

